Atlas (2013)
Rate Atlas - and post your review
Thread starter busybeeburns
aschall
Here Comes the Night Time
Nature said:
To me. Christmas Lights has more variation with sounds its more layered. The same with Moving to Mars.
You're right, they are more dynamic, but to me, Atlas is like a slow jam with all those good Coldplay feels....
Tash
clueing for looks
ColdplayingfromKansas said:
The band should take the hint that this is the style seemingly everyone likes
Not everyone.
Up With The Birds
Tash said:
The reaction here has been great, the iTunes ratings are even better, but there is also some negative criticism of it being "zzzzz" and "too nice" which I have to agree with (Chris' "exploding" can barely constitute a minor fart).
So while this is fine I'd also like to hear something edgier and less goop approved on LP6.
Nikola said:
Not only that, but all of Coldplay's recent one-offers seem to be following the same style.
Except perhaps the band themselves. At this stage of their career, they don't really need hits, or even to shift records, so it's only natural their going to do what they like at the moment, even if it's less popular. It happens to a lot of bands once they no longer have the pressure of worrying about money or acclaim. Coldplay are making music for the fun of it at this point.
ColdplayingfromKansas
Official Viva Fangirl
Well no, it'd be insanity to expect them to please everyone, but from what I've read Atlas is being reviewed positively more often than not
Indeed. Nothing will ever please anyone, but this song has gotten more positive reaction (both from the fanbase and critically) than anything the band has released in an exceptionally long period of time. That counts as universal acclaim in my book.
OnlookerDelay
It took me a couple of listens, but after that it's a solid 9/10 for me. I approached from the perspective that since it's written for a movie soundtrack, it has to have context and mood faithful to the needs of the movie. From what I saw in the first Hunger Games movie, Atlas fits the bill lyrically and in terms of its anthemic soundscape. The chorus may be simple, but it is powerful and Will's backing vocal in the final 45 seconds demonstrates his amazing range spectacularly!
I thought MX was overproduced and it's good to hear that a lot of the studio excesses of MX are absent in Atlas, although it gets a little bit too lavish in the final minute. The subtle opening of this song reminds me of For You, working toward Moving to Mars. It builds anticipation for the wind-up to a sensual eargasm that leaves me wanting more.
I think Coldplay has hit the mark with this one. I have no doubt it will resonate with Hunger Games fans who haven't heard of or paid attention to Coldplay. This song will whave two life cycles because of its tie to the movie.
thenowhereman
Man with a Cartoon Heart
Every listen makes me love it more. I'm confused by the way people desperately want this song to remind them of other Coldplay songs, or think that it's an indication of what is to come. And I don't understand why people on here are being negative to certain eras (especially MX). I've followed this band since Safety. I love each album separately and think the evolution in sound from one era to the next is incredible. I'm always surprised and elated by new Coldplay music. I love this band and I always will.
thenowhereman said:
And I don't understand why people on here are being negative to certain eras (especially MX).
I'm glad you mentioned this because it made me realize I need to clarify something I said about MX. It's not that I didn't like most of the material on MX (Priness of China not withstanding), rather it was the heavy-handed production of the recording that didn't sit well with me. I strongly prefer the live version of every song on MX to the studio version, because the natural character of the band is far more evident in the live recordings.
nvdmm
Oldplayer
aschall said:
I feel like I'm in the clouds when I listen to it
that doesn't even make any sense. usual nonsensical coldplay bashing. I read the comments on another website and they were all referring to coldplay fans as "gay tweens"! you get the sense they're some fat useless oafs from kentucky who get a kick out of insulting people on the internet so they feel superior and less emotionally disturbed.
They had the opportunity to come with a jewel... The first minute is really nice.. But when Chris just starts to sing "carry your wooooooooorld" the song goes from 8.5 to 4 as vote imo, and I shot my **** .. so finally I gave 6... such a pity.. it could have been really a nice song.. I've been keeping on listening to the first minute.. But ok, we knew in which direction they went in the last few years..
At least I know that they still have inside that thing that made part of us fall in love with them 15 years ago... (e.g. glass of water, moving to mars, the first minute of atlas....)
The Final Track
Prognissekongen!
It's not bad, but I can't say I'm a fan.
8! Great great song! Brilliant coldplay!
It's really strange, the track is 4 minutes, but goes by like 2minutes.
It has to have something to do with the rythm.
Mollyxyloto
I fucking love it. I'm so happy they've gone in this direction. To me it's a mixture of Viva era songs and X&Y era songs.
Fucking love it.
kalex1138
Climbing to the sun
Atlas sounds familiar. It takes it's cues and various influences from previous Coldplay works, primarily their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th albums. Yes, Atlas isn't a bold, new, direction for the band. And that's good!
Atlas begins with a piano melody that at first listen might appear to find inspiration from the piano-centric, A Rush of Blood to the Head, however the tone and overall feel of the instrumentation is more akin to the Viva la Vida era and the historical themes it exuded.
Chris' vocals here herald back to the band's latest outing, particularly to the song Moving to Mars, which was the b-side to Mylo Xyloto's preliminary single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. His voice takes on a deeper, more serious tone which works well at the start of the song as his voice raises to accompany the changes in pace as they take place.
The lyrics themselves however seem to be more akin to Coldplay's 3rd album, X&Y. They're upbeat, powerful, and emotional. Yet at the same time they maintain a sense of rebellion. Whether or not this is singularly fueled by the overarching theme of rebellion that Catching Fire represents, or perhaps that this is more representative of the new sound/theme for Coldplay's LP6 is yet to be seen.
With LP6 being the end to a trilogy of albums beginning with 2008's Viva la Vida, which focused on a dictator and then transitioned into 2011's Mylo Xyloto which loosely chronicled the rise of opposition and rebellion to said dictator, is it logical to assume that LP6 will focus on the conflict between these opposing powers? If that is the case, I'd say that Atlas is a fine example of what we can expect from Coldplay's forthcoming album.
The myriad of electronic flourishes found throughout the song primarily draw inspiration from Coldplay's 5th album and the 'Enoxification' that was coined by Brian Eno during the creation of that album. Whereas the production was somewhat overdone in MX, it works beautifully here as it is accompanied by a slew of other instruments and sounds, and where it doesn't take center stage.
After gradually building up throughout the body of the song, Atlas ends in bombastic climax, accompanied by David Rossi's glorious string instrumentation, calling back to the endings of previous Coldplay songs 'Politik', 'Viva la Vida', 'The Scientist' and 'Death and All His Friends'.
Overall, Atlas is a pleasant mix of both old and new Coldplay. It successfully draws inspiration from a variety of aspects of Coldplay's previous works and manages at the same time to entice an exciting new future for the band. 8/10.
True!! Happens to me
nvdmm said:
Wow. No. There's objective criticism and there's that.
Don't wanna go further into this cos I like the song.
kaisin
Livin' life in Technicolor
At first, i didn't like the song that much, it was like the tempo was off (IMO) and i dunno, i was little bit 'meeeehhhhh' for the first listens but it has definitely been a grower for me and now i can't stop listening to it, i still prefer it from 2:20 onwards, that part of the song is as good anything Coldplay has released lately or maybe even better, that burst of music after 'i... i'm about to explode' is exactly how i would've liked the Charlie Brown "light a fire" part to be recorded. A very good song to add to the Coldplay canon, not unworthy.
PS: The lyric video was AMAZING, i think that me liking it so much now has a lot to do with that video, seeing the 'carry your world' part with the lightbursts really gave me goosebumps